Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s LGBTQ+ Outreach Sparks Intra-Party Clash

Rep. The same campaign website also displayed Pride photographs alongside anti-LGBTQ+ attack material, prompting criticism from Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, Fitzpatrick’s Democratic challenger. Harvie argues that the juxtaposition undermines Fitzpatrick’s professed support for LGBTQ+ rights and aligns him with “MAGA allies” who target the community.

The Advocate

AUF, identified in its own materials as fighting “gender ideology,” opposes medical transition for minors and has supported a Supreme Court brief challenging Colorado’s conversion-therapy restrictions. While AUF praised Fitzpatrick for backing gay and transgender adults, it distinguishes that stance from protections for transgender youth. In 2025, Fitzpatrick broke with most Republicans by voting against a bill that would criminalize gender-affirming care for minors and has publicly endorsed the Equality Act, which extends federal nondiscrimination protections to sexual orientation and gender identity. Liz Bradbury, CEO of the statewide advocacy group Keystone Equality, acknowledges Fitzpatrick’s moderate votes but cautions that his alignment with conservative leadership limits broader LGBTQ+ progress.

The Advocate

Fitzpatrick’s campaign highlighted the AUF endorsement as evidence of his commitment to equality, citing his support for the Equality Act on the campaign website. AUF’s endorsement announcement emphasized his record on protecting gay and transgender Americans while maintaining a separate agenda that limits protections for transgender youth. Neither Fitzpatrick, AUF, nor the National Republican Congressional Committee provided comment to The Advocate when approached for further remarks.

The Advocate

Bob Harvie condemned the campaign’s use of Pride imagery on a site that also hosts anti-LGBTQ+ content. He called on Fitzpatrick to denounce the “disgusting tactics” and to remove the website, asserting that Fitzpatrick is an ally of Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, and Washington Republicans rather than of LGBTQ+ people.

The Advocate

• “Honored to once again earn the endorsement of the incredible team at American Unity Fund,” — Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, bucks county commissioner

The Advocate

• “The truth is he is not ‘independent’ – instead, he is engaging in the same cruel attacks that he and his MAGA allies use to distract from their failure to lower costs,” — Bob Harvie, at Pride-related events, among them a group holding a Pride flag

The Advocate

• “I am calling on Brian Fitzpatrick to immediately denounce these disgusting tactics and to remove this website that puts our LGBTQ+ community members at risk. Fitzpatrick is not an Ally of LGBTQ+ people, he’s an Ally to Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, and Washington Republicans who fund his campaign,” — Bob Harvie, at Pride-related events, among them a group holding a Pride flag

The Advocate

• “Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is a moderate Republican who has crossed the aisle in Washington a number of times to vote in favor of LGBT rights, particularly in favor of sustaining marriage equality,” — Bradbury

The Advocate

• “The moderate-conservative organizations that tout his support have not advocated for the rights of Transgender Youth and other fundamental LGBT rights.” — Bradbury

The Advocate